Literally Dead Book Club discussion
This topic is about
Fragments of the Lost
Fragments of the Lost DISCUSSION
>
Fragments of the Lost PAGES 250 - END
Luckily, the last part makes up and we finally get some thriller content, but it is only for a few chapters and then it’s back to romance for the finale. I feel there was much more that could have been done around the mystery part, and too much emphasis was upon the relationships of the characters. After all, I’ll stay with 2.5 - 3 stars.
I would read this author again if not written for YA.
I read this back in December of 2018 so this was part of my review for it since I don't remember much. It was a four star read at the time but I'd probably knock it down to three because it wasn't memorable.As the pieces started coming apart instead of together. There were more questions floating around and more characters coming into play. There’s lies and deceit by characters actively in the story and not. Pretty soon I started looking forward to reading it instead of putting it off a bit longer than I should have.
The characters were classic teenagers, with the classic teenager drama as an amazing backdrop to the main mystery. I loved how it made the entire story more realistic and the characters more three-dimensional.
I really wish the parts about the pieces of his life were dated. I had the same problem with Words in Deep Blue. I’ve realized when things go out of order I really want them labeled so I can put them together in my head.
I know people have said in reviews that this book started out slow, but personally, I was hooked from the beginning. I loved reading as Jessa started going through Caleb's things, giving us a flashback that connects to their relationship and shows us more about their characters. It reminded me so much of Why We Broke Up because each chapter is titled after an object that Jessa finds in Caleb's room and then connects back to something they did in the past. I love to read romance novels as well as thrillers, so the relationship moments were also enjoyable for me. Right from the start, there's an ominous feeling that surrounds Caleb's mom, Eve, and why she is bringing Jessa into her home when Jessa and Caleb had been broken up prior to his death. You know that Caleb's mother is not who she seems to be, and as the story unwinds, the suspense builds. I don't know that I would call this book a thriller; it's more of a suspenseful mystery.
I really enjoyed this read, the interconnectedness of the characters, and the twists that the plotline took. While some plot points were predictable, there were still many that surprised me or that I didn't guess quite perfectly. At first, you are wondering if Jessa did have something to do with Caleb's death. Sometimes, I found myself suspicious of all the other characters in the novel. Ultimately, all signs were pointing towards Caleb's mom knowing more than she let on, so when that was revealed, I wasn't as shocked as I would have liked. What did surprise me was Sean's involvement in Caleb's past and how that intertwined with the overall storyline.
First complaint: Caleb's mother was a predictable plot point. The suspicion of her motives and involvement is raised very early on in the novel. Her attitude toward Jessa seems unprovoked and while I understand that her attitude could be due to Caleb visiting Jessa just before his death, it felt like there was more behind it than just that. From Mia being told not to talk to Jessa to digging through Jessa's purse, you know something is off. I wish that the big reveals would have been completely out of nowhere, no hinting, that Eve was playing the grieving mother role so well that both Jessa and the readers were shocked to find out. I wish that the first time suspicion was placed on Eve would have been when Jessa discovered the court documents at the library. The plot twist of Sean's involvement in Caleb's father's imprisonment would have instantly pointed the readers to Eve and Sean and made us question everything in the novel up to that point.
Second complaint: I am not always a fan of the happy ending where everything wraps up perfectly. This story had dark undertones and it would have made the story even darker if Caleb could never come back, Jessa had to keep that secret, and Eve took Mia and ran. We know Caleb is safe and that his father would gain access to the trust because Caleb was still declared dead and that the two of them would be okay. Eve wouldn't be able to go to the police to say that she believed her son was still alive without raising suspicion for her own involvement.
Overall, great book club pick. Kayla, you're doing great!
1. I thought this book ended really great. As I said in the first discussion I did not enjoy the beginning, but I loved the end. Very suspenseful and really made up for the slow pace of the first 1/3. I did like that Max and Jessa ended up together because it was clear from the beginning that Max was a way better match. I also liked that she really put the whole thing together on her own, I love when a woman is independent in stories like this. (I hate when she just follows a man if you know what I mean) 2. I did predict a lot of the big ideas of the story but I did get surprised by the different reveals I didn't guess. For example, I predicted from the beginning that he was still alive but I couldn't figure out why he would leave like that. Once I found out about the dad and the money, I guessed the dad was still alive, but I had no clue about the fire. I thought the mom Eve was super sketchy from the beginning but I never could have guessed to that extent! Overall it was predictable to a point, but there were surprising details that I found myself figuring out with Jessa.
3. Yes, I would read from this author again! I liked her writing style and I think I would enjoy another one of her books.
4. This is my first month joining your book club, (I have followed it but never participated) and I found myself unable to put this book down. I can't wait for the live stream as well as next month!!
The book was good. I gave it 3 stars. When we first found out he wasn't dead was a little of a surprise.
I would read from this author again but not YA.
I have read all your selections so far and enjoying your book club.
I liked how the book ended. It was a good way to wrap things uP. I like how Jessa figured things out and how she healed from feeling like she “caused” Caleb’s death. I’m goi get o give this book a three and would read from the author again. She did a good job with the ending.
This book was slow paced and a bit dull. It is definitely not a thriller and the “ mystery” didn’t really start until 75% of the book. 2 stars
I am so sad that I haven't been blown away by any of the books we have read so far, but I am optimistic! I liked this book more than the other ones, but it was still nothing extraordinary. The mystery part was a bit underwhelming and not really all that thrilling, and I didn't really like any of the characters all that much, which is a big turn-off for me.
Final thoughts: not impressed. Where I hovered around 2 stars for the first parts of the book, the fact that things finally started to happen in the last bit bumped it up to 2.5 for me.Did anything surprise you: not really. YA in general tends to be a little less complex and drops more blatant foreshadowing. I felt that was the case here. The tone around the mom was set from the beginning.
Would you read from this author again: Probably, but it would depend on the first two chapters I think.
Am I making terrible book club selections: While I have rated the three books I've read so far 3.5 or less stars (skipped Platform Seven since I couldn't find a library copy), I'm still enjoying exploring books I wouldn't have otherwise picked up. Plus, they've been shorter books for the most part, so I'm able to knock them out in a couple of days. Keep the recs coming! :-D
1. I saw some of the ending coming but not all of it and other than it being slow I enjoyed it. I gave it 3.5 stars.2. I didn’t expect his stuff with his dad and Sean having something to do with that which added another layer to the story.
3. I would try another book from this author. I don’t like judging an author off one book unless it’s really bad.
I enjoyed the last third of the book the most but it was still just an OK book for me. I will definitely read more from this author. I have only read her YA stuff and I’m interested to see how adult thing go. This book was very quick and very readable.
I just finished reading this this morning and I really enjoyed it! I give it 5 stars despite seeing that most people gave it only 3 or 4. I was hooked right away and found it very interesting. It kept me guessing all the details which is the fun part of reading a mystery. People are saying that it is slow and focuses too much on the character relationships but it's told from a teenage girls point of view so I think that it was perfect. If all of this book were unfolding in front of an adult I would agree that there wasn't enough and it was slower but since a hormonal teenage girl is going through all of this I think the pace is perfect. I'm new this month to this book club and am glad I joined. Can't wait to read next month's book.
1) I honestly loved this book, but i loved it more for the relationship between Jessa, Max, and Caleb vs. what the mystery ones. I did enjoy the river scene but feel like if could of been longer/scarier in my opinion. A lot of build up for Jessa to just get pushed in the river.2) The involvement of the mother and how she put the tracker on Jessa's phone when she inputted her phone number. My mother definitely wouldn't know how to do that. lol
3) I do think i would read from her again. There was nothing that I really hated.
4) No, this was a winner for me. but then again i'm new to the genre Mystery/Thriller.
I did enjoy the previous months, but in my opinion, this book was so pointless? I gave it 2 stars because I did enjoy it while reading, but the ending completely ruined it.They literally told you everything "He is alive", "Eve always knows where I am and she used my phone", "Something happened to Sean" and then there are no plot twists because you told me everything? What is the point of writing the entire book if you are going to tell me everything?
The ending also felt extremely rushed. First, we have to read 200+ slow pages because she is cleaning and cleaning like Snow White and then when the action is about to begin, the author wraps it up in 20-ish pages? "I found him, almost drowned, no just kidding everyone is here, solved the entire problem even though I am a young girl, gotta go love a boy now".
There was just absolutely no point to this entire book, because the author tells you very specifically what is going to happen throughout the book. So obviously, this one wasn't a good pick for me haha. ;)
I thought this book was pretty good.I ended up giving a 3 star.
I thought the ending was solid.
Really enjoy Megan Miranda's writing.
When I first heard about the synopsis of this book I was really intrigued. I could relate to the idea of small every day items bringing back memories after a bad break up and the emotions these items can bring up after a long period of time. In this case, it is amplified further by including the death of someone they once loved. Taking this all into account, I was surprised to find myself over halfway through this book bored and wondering where this is going. I think if this was just a YA contemporary book, I would have been enjoying the first half of this book more. However, because I knew this was supposed to be a thriller/mystery I found myself constantly anticipating when the ‘thrilling’ aspects were going to kick in. It did finally start to pick up and I found myself enjoying it a bit more.
I always suspected Eve was going to become a part of the mystery from how bad she was treating Jessa and I think it was written quite obviously that she had a big part to play in this. However, what I did not expect was that Sean was involved in the arson which left Caleb’s dad in prison. I like how Megan Miranda incorporated this part into the story because I had just assumed Sean entered the family a lot later.
I also suspected Julian from how much he disliked Caleb. I understand this was big brother protecting his little sister but I really thought Julian knew something about Caleb/Caleb’s past which justified all the dirty looks and general dislike that we were shown.
One thing that I wish was taken further were the binoculars. When Jessa found the binoculars behind Caleb’s bed I thought this could have been a great opportunity to explain how Caleb found out about Jessa and Max. Seeing as Max lived just behind Caleb’s house I could definitely see Caleb spotting Max and Jessa together using the binoculars. Not really an important part of the story but something I thought could have added a lot more explanation than Caleb ‘just knowing’.
Overall, I did end up enjoying this story, I thought it was just good and gave it 3 stars. I think there was a lot of potential to push this rating up in the little details but unfortunately this fell flat. I would read more books by Megan Miranda as I think the concept of the book had potential so I can’t rule out her other books just yet.
Finally, thriller and actions! This part reminded me again why I liked Megan Miranda's writing so much.Final thoughts?
Going through parts one and two, I was worried the ending would be weak, but I should've known Megan Miranda would always tie in her endings nicely. This last part made up all the slowness in the first two parts for me. I still liked All the Missing Girls more than this book, but it wasn't bad. I really liked the ending. 3 stars for me!
Did anything surprise you?
Yes, the river action sequence was unexpected. I expected a reveal that Caleb would be alive, and that was it. I suspected Eve's part in all this, but didn't expect her to be the archnemesis of the story. Although, halfway through part three I did recall I couldn't see any mother-son interaction at all in Jessa's memories - I was wondering if they had close relationship or not.
The fully fleshed inheritance plot was also better thought of than I expected (I did lower my expectation for YA thrillers).
Would you read from this author again?
Absolutely. Have started The Perfect Stranger (Adult, not YA), and I even have Fracture (YA) queued.
Am I making terrible book club selections? lol just checking
Absolutely NOT! I'm already halfway through The Guest List, and can't wait to see your next selections. I even wish you'd select 2 books per months instead of just 1.
Also, I came here not just for the book selections, but for interactive discussions while reading like this!
Yeeeah I kind of hated it. I guessed that Caleb was alive the first time they said his body hadn't been found (around page 100 I think?) so nothing really surprised me. I couldn't stand the characters (aside from Hailey. Hailey deserved better than this book) and I really didn't care about the relationship so it was frustrating to me that so much of the book was focused on it. I wouldn't read from this author again, but that's not your fault ahaOverall ⭐⭐
I feel the first part was super slow, focusing so heavily on memories and the second half was the most quick and thrillery. I am now super keen on romance but I do like it when it's just a side story in a book, so that probably adds to why I didn't quite like the first part. The ending was okay, it was about time Jessa and Max got together. From the very beginning I suspected he was still alive and that Eve suspected Jessa knew where, although I didn't see his mother being quite the criminal. I enjoyed the read, really got me thinking about how much you really get to know people and exactly what "fragments" were left behind by people I knew, or I guess what I would leave behind at some point. I don't think it was that memorable, so I guess I would give it 2 and a half, maybe 3 stars because it was entertaining. This is my second read in the club. I read You're not alone because I couldn't get the other books (I live in Argentina, physical copies take a while to actually be sold here and to buy ebooks from Amazon or similar pages we need to add like a 40% extra charge.. insane prices!). I found you're not alone to be quite fast paced but didn't really ike Shay and again, although entertaining, that was definitely not one I liked much. I'm thinking of trying to read the previous two books, because even though these last ones haven't quite been my favourites, they definitely ARE taking my out of a reading slump!!!!
1. Sooo for the first 2/3rd of this book, I felt like the pacing could have been a lot quicker. It was hovering around a 3.5 for me at that point. However, I really enjoyed the last 1/3rd of it! I'd say my true rating is closer to a 4.5, but I rounded up for Goodreads.2. I did not see the plot twist with Eve and Sean framing Caleb's dad coming AT ALL. I had a sketchy feeling about Eve, but I had assumed that she had met Sean a while after the fire occurred. Also, I probably should have caught on to the fact that Eve enabled the tracking on Jessa's phone, but that didn't even cross my mind.
Most of the other plot twists were somewhat predictable. I had already guessed that Caleb had faked his death to be with his dad, but I wasn't sure why. There was also a lot of foreshadowing about Sean's death, but I'm not sure how I feel about the explanation as to why Caleb felt cornered about not going to the police. Like, on one hand, I get that his mom basically framed him for everything, but on the other hand, he had evidence about her involvement with the fire and I feel like it was a bit dramatic to fake his own death.
Looking back, I understand why the beginning of the book focused on Caleb and Jessa's relationship so heavily though. It helped to illustrate Caleb as someone who primarily cared about his own self-interest, and didn't think about how his actions affected others. (Leaving Jessa at the train station, not making an effort with her family, lying about where he went, etc.) It helped explain his thought process on faking his death.
3. Yes, I will most likely pick up more books by Megan Miranda in the future. I enjoyed her writing style, and, for the most part, the characters didn't irritate me or make too stupid of decisions. Jessa crossing the river in a storm was pretty dumb though, not gonna lie.
4. Haha, no! I've read all of the picks except for Platform Seven (no library copy) and I've enjoyed all of them to some degree. This one has been my favorite so far, and all 3 books I already had on my TBR before they were announced as picks, too. The Guest List was also already on my radar, so I'm looking forward to that next month!
I'm just starting page 250 but had a thought. Did Caleb kill Sean and put his body in the car before sending it over the bridge???
Just finished and unfortunately I am only giving it 3 stars. it wasn't a bad book but it was really a mystery/thriller. Some of the plot twists at the end were a surprise but mainly predictable.I probably wouldn't read this author again unless it wasn't YA. YA is just too simplified for my taste in thrillers.
This is the first time I participated but I read The Guest List and will be participating.
Hmm...well, I'm glad I'm done with the book and can read something else. The last section of the book did pick up and draw me in, but not enough to change my overall feeling of darkness when I read this. The whole concept was depressing - going through the room of a (supposed) dead person. The only bright bits were the scenes with Max and Jessa. Overall I would give it 3stars.Even though I probably would have DNF'd this if not reading for this book club, I would still read something else by this author. The writing wasn't bad, I just didn't like the story.
I think you are doing fine picking books. I read The Other People and this one. I'm happy I did it. I can't wait to read The Guest List!
1. This book was a no from me- 2 stars. I do think youre doing a good job though- its fun to read with everyone and feel like im a part of something bigger 💛
When I was reading this book it was OK, but when I put it down I didn’t really want to pick it up again so it was a bit difficult to get through.I liked some of the characters - even Jessa, but I don’t think YA is for me as I don’t massively enjoy stories told from a teenager’s perspective. There was a lot of focus on romance, which I feel is quite common for YA, and this didn’t work for me in the context of a thriller.
I though the plot was a bit obvious and underwhelming and I think the way it was structured seemed to really slow the pace (which isn’t really what I want in a thriller!)
1. The last third of this book brought in some thriller elements that the first two parts were severely lacking. Whilst i definitely enjoyed this section more i did feel like the ending was rushed and required a lot of suspended disbelief, which i find really unsatisfying in thrillers, i like for the ending to be somewhat realistic. e.g Jessa just suddenly makes it alright for Caleb to come back after he faked his own death and after he tells us in the chapter before that it's impossible for him to come back.I found it anticlimactic when Jessa found Caleb, it just seemed a bit too easy and then when She did find him he leaves and she just...goes home? I thought that it would have been more satisfying for Jessa to find him and then they plot together how to prove that Eve was behind everything so that he could come home, but instead he leaves and then a couple of chapters later he is back and the author just skips past all of that. That was what i found most lame about the ending and what required the most suspended disbelief.
The first 200 pages of Jessa packing up Caleb's room should have been shorter, there were very few things in the room that counted as clues anyway so i think if the author focused on those rather than the broken zip of a backpack that was irrelevant then the pacing would have been more even across the three parts. I understand that the author used the items as a narrative tool to tell us about the relationships between Jessa & Caleb & Max but i think the problem here was that the characters were not that interesting so the stakes just weren't high enough for me. For the relationship (or dissolvement of them) to be more impactful this book would have worked better as a domestic thriller centered around a married couple rather than teenagers. But i guess there are enough of those around that i can read and YA thrillers just aren't for me.
I also think that Eve should have been written as a grieving mother rather than a villain. As a reader i was suspicious of her from the start so if i had sympathy for her then i think the revelations of her involvement would have had more of an impact rather than "well duh". This would also have made more sense that Jessa was packing up the room if it was made to be that Jessa felt sympathetic towards Eve and was doing it to save her the grief rather than how it was presented as a punishment doled out by Eve which never made sense to me.
I think that the author was also trying to use Julian as a Red Herring but that was not effective for me. I never had any feelings that he was involved.
The chapter called "The Photo" was perhaps the most exciting for me and the book needed more chapters like that where the pieces of the puzzle were being put together.
I thought that the explanation of Eve knowing where Jessa was because She was in her contacts list was a bit clumsy and not explained very well. Jessa just suddenly realised it and then it was automatically true and then Eve is on her way and then finds her. I get that it amped up the anxiety of feeling like she is being hunted but it just wasn't done very well. It would have made more sense if she found a tracking device in her car rather than stumbling through lazy tech talk.
2. The revelations that surprised me were :
- when we found out that Sean was the witness. As soon as this happened i knew that Eve & Sean had framed the Dad.
-Jessa finding out that Caleb's dad was not dead but in prison (i knew he wasn't dead but i think the prison plotline was surprising)
-Stan revealed as the man who went to Caleb's dorm room, the link to the fake ID's is when i thought it very likely that my theory that Caleb is alive would definitely turn out to be correct.
- Jessa finding Sean's belongings, i wasn't expecting for him to have been killed.
Overall, i rated this a 2.5. This has been my least favourite out of the picks.
3. I think you are doing a great job Kayla! You haven't read these books before either so you can't help if some of them aren't heavy on the thriller or if they're not to everyone's taste. Also, i don't mind reading a book that i don't enjoy if it's in a book club setting because i actually have an easier time of discussing what i didn't like about a book more than what i do like about it haha. My favourite pick so far has been You Are Not Alone which i know you didn't love. I have heard some good things about The Guest List so i'm looking forward to starting that.
Final thoughts: It’s definitely not a bad book and even though I see it as a combination of two different stories I enjoyed it. But yeah - it is a combination of a melancholic tale of dealing with death and realizing if you really knew someone and the last part is sort of mystery investigation. I’m not entirely convinced that these parts worked together well - the investigation would be much more exciting if it was happening right after the guy disappeared and the room cleaning part (which I loved for it’s atmosphere) only made us wait too long before anything mysterious happened. If it was just one or the other, it would be fine, but together? It just looses impact. It doesn’t help that the characters were kinda bland. Still not a bad book, but it didn’t wow me. Surprises? No, not really. The book went for the "simple answer" solution. No one is responsible for Calebs death! He’s alive and well! Who is the bad guy? Someone who acts shady! And people who look nice and perfect ARE nice and perfect!
Not to mention - I’m used to characters being wrong when thinking about the solution until the very end. For example characters think it’s A, then consider B and change their mind and think C, but then the solution is revealed to be D all along. Here it’s - "I don’t think he’s dead" and then it turns out that... he isn’t dead. Well, there’s a lot cramped near the end, that’s supposed to be surprising, but ended up rather convoluted.
I don’t think I’ll actively search for the works of this author, but if it’ll be picked as some future book club pick, or it’ll be translated and published in my country... why not.
I think that thanks to this book club I’m finding/realizing exactly what I want from books. I’m used to just reading and not really thinking about every aspect of a book I’ve just read. But having to stop at certain points and review what I’ve just read is refreshing. For example I realized I prioritize good (sad) atmosphere and/or entertaining writing over shocking plot twists. Good to know.
Final rating of this book: 3,5/5 (will probably push it to 4 on goodreads)
I'm really conflicted with how I felt about this book. It kept my interest, but also I don't think I liked it? I think the problem I have is that in the beginning, it was a realistic story, but towards the end it to too farfetched for me. Just the difference between beginning to end really bothered me, To me, the end wasn't realistic at all.I was getting very bored throughout this book from halfway onward. I found myself rereading sections of this book because they couldn't fold my focus, and these were during crucial, more suspenseful moments. I also thought everything seemed to line up and wrap up too nicely? For example, when she realized the bed was moved. She originally thought it was Max who moved it (if I'm remembering correctly) then she just KNEW it was Caleb? That didn't make sense to me. There was nothing before that to suggest it would have been Caleb but Jessa just KNEW. Even the part where she put the pieces together with the mother, it all just seemed to simple.
I think I will rate this 2.5-3 stars??? UHG I just don't know.
Kayla, you're not choosing bad books LOL. I've been enjoying the discussions nonetheless even if I haven't loved the choice.
I don't want to be too harsh because it IS aYA thriller. I guess I liked how the book handled grief in the beginning. The plot twist was too predictable. Also too much romance for me personally, but you know I think I would've really liked this book 15 years ago lol. I think I would read from this author because the book did hold my attention ( I read it in one day) but I think I would give her adult books a try instead of YA.
I actually ended up enjoying this book. True, many of the plot “twists“ were predictable, but I really don’t think every mystery/thriller has to have a shocking twist. I think it was a bit simplistic, but in my opinion that’s kind of how YA books are. I was surprised with Dad being in prison but, as said earlier, not that he was alive. Also nice surprise thatMom and Sean were the really bad guys. And also appreciate the fact that jessa really figured this stuff out on her own...she turned out to be a pretty strong young woman. Didn’t mind the bit of romance in the book since that’s a lot more realistic anyway
I think I’d up this rating to a 3.5. On goodreads probably indicate a 3.
I have read other Megan Miranda books and have enjoyed them. (Not YA though)
Kayla, how could we hold you responsible for not great reads? Did you write all of these books and this is your nefarious plot to sell your own books? 😳. From reading other reviews from all of these bookclub books, some people gave high reviews while others didn’t. It’s just a lot of fun reading the same book as others and then seeing what everyone thinks. Looking forward to next month’s selection!
Kayla you could never make a bad decision!!! I really enjoyed The Other People so I think you're picking great books! (even though that one and this one are the only books I've read for this book club and this one I didn't really care for LOL)This last part was the only exciting part of this book. It took 250 pages to get interesting and that should not be the case for a thriller/mystery. I also don't really care for romance story lines in mystery/thrillers so the fact that a majority of this book was just giving details about Jessa and Caleb's relationship made me dislike it even more. I understand for this story why all the detail was somewhat needed, but I feel like all that information could have been condensed to about 100 pages and then have Jessa spend a longer time driving out trying to figure out what's going on. I gave it a 2 stars on goodreads but an overall rating of 2.5.
Did anything surprise me in this book? The only thing that really did was the fact that Eve and Sean lied about the fire and the outcome of that. Everything else to be was somewhat predictable and the reunion of Jessa and Caleb was lackluster to be honest.
Would you read from this author again? I would but only an adult novel. I've seen "The Last House Guest" a lot so maybe that one but definitely not another YA book.
reply | flag *
All I have to say is... meh.
In general I enjoyed this book. I gave it 3 stars, although I liked it more for the relationship between the characters rather than the mystery. I read romance books so I didn't mind all the Jessa-Caleb drama but I understand why many people did't like it.It was pretty obvious that Caleb and his dad were alive so the only surprising thing was that Eve and Sean had known each other before and framed Caleb's dad.
Yes, I'd read again from this author.
I have participated in three out of four selections. So far I enjoyed The Other People and Fragments of the Lost (I both gave them 3 stars). They weren't amazing but I had a great time reading them. I really hated Platform Seven (it was a 1 star read for me) but in the end what matters is the interaction between the readers. It's fun to read with everyone and see all these different opinions and theories. After all we all have different tastes and it's not like you've read these books before, so how could you know if they are good or bad?
P.S. The Guest List was already on my tbr so I'm very excited about next month's read!
This book ended up being disappointing. Caleb being alive was just too predictable. The rest of it with Eve was interesting, but we kind of always knew she was the 'bad guy' so to speak. If this book had been a hard hitting contemporary dealing with grief and moving on, I think it would have been far more interesting.
1. Final thoughts? Ummm. k. It wasn't the most intense book ever. I kind of was hoping for a curve ball and nothing really shocked me. Eve's character was exactly as I predicted. Though I didn't really think that what happened with Sean. That was interesting. I disliked liked how it just turned into a love story about Jessa and Max and theme out to fight the world. I understand how Jessa's character developed throughout the book, but I disliked how it was played out, through the characters voice. I'm not sure how to explain this. Though, I will say that Caleb's dads story was interesting! I expected him to be alive, just not jail and being framed.
I rated this book a 3.
2. Would you read from this author again? Probably!
3. Am I making terrible book club selections? haha No! I like the book recommendations, can't please us all :)
I didn't like this book very much and ended up giving it 2/5 stars. I almost DNF'd it a few times and the only reason I finished it was because I was reading it for this book club. The only thing that really suprised me in the book was that Caleb's dad framed for the fire. Otherwise I figured out pretty quickly that Caleb & his dad were still alive.
I would read Megan Miranda's adult books. I have All the Missing Girls and have heard good things about it. I just don't think that YA mystery/thrillers are for me as I rarely like them.
I think the selections have been good overall. This was the first book I didn't like. I have already read the June book (The Guest List) and I loved that one!
Jessa turns about to be a great protaganist as she puts the pieces together and braves so many new experiences. Caleb's mother being the villian and here ability to hide it. I would read another Megan MirandaI think your selections have been great. I missed March's book but have read the rest.
1. I’m so happy to finally be done lol. This book was starting to put me in a book slump, and honestly I was just bored while reading it. 2 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ 2. I didn’t anticipate Eve and Sean setting up Caleb’s Dad, but other than that everything seemed pretty obvious.
3. I’d give the author another chance, provided it’s an adult thriller. YA just isn’t for me.
4. No! I didn’t read Platform Seven, but gave the other selections both 4 stars. There’s no book out there that will work for everyone anyways, and it’s fun getting to discuss the book at the end, whether I loved it or hated it.
I gave this book 3 stars. Really not what I expected at all. I really loved the plot twist that Sean had something to do with Caleb's dad being incarcerated and that Sean was dead. I did not see that coming. Nor that Caleb was alive. At first I wasn't feeling the Max and Jessa together but as I read on and seen how much more he was there and cared for her I wasn't mad that they ended up together in the end. I would give Megan Miranda another go, it wasn't a bad read just not what I thought it was going to be
Why did he leave the necklace in his jeans knowing she would find it? Did he know she'd be asked to clean his room?
Loved it. I personally wouldn't have been able to handle more thrill/suspense.I'm surprised that Eve was behind all this. But it makes sense.
I really enjoyed this book! Maybe I'm too much of a newbie to the genre, but I think as a YA mystery it is really great- maybe if you're used to reading more adult thrillers with more vivid content, it could be a let down? For me, it was all about the characters relationships, Jessa going through conflicting feelings about who she knows Caleb to be, how their relationship was, and who she can trust. I really enjoyed her growth from jealously thinking he was seeing a girl (which let's face it, is a very teenage thing to think!) to seeing the deeper truth and the far more serious consequences of everything. I agree with other people that maybe Eve was too obvious from the start, but I'm always the kind of person that enjoys the finding out why even when I already know the what. I was surprised by Sean testifying in court, I loved the pay off of the casual "there used to be a screen here" had as we found out about Sean's murder, finding Sean's pocket watch was unexpected and really changed the feeling from general unease to fear for Jessa and Max's safety and I loved the development of their relationship too. I didn't predict Caleb's dad being alive at all! I think I was still expecting right to the end that Caleb would actually be dead and his dad would have just been waiting for him there, but I think it was a satisfying ending, if maybe not the ending a thriller is expected to have.
I will definitely be reading more Megan Miranda, and I think this was a great book club pick Lala!
1. I have this book a 3 it wasn’t bad necessarily, it just fine, I don’t think I’ll remember much about it. The writing was good and the plot was pretty interesting, ex girlfriend going through dead ex boyfriends stuff and learning so many things about him. 2. I was surprised that Eve was so evil and she killed Sean and tried to set up her own son. I knew something was weird and suspicious about her but didn’t think it was that extreme. I knew Caleb was alive and he was with his dad somewhere.
3. If the author wrote an adult book I might read it. Probably none of her ‘mystery/thrillers’ because I didn’t think this was very mysterious or thriller like. There was about two chapters that felt like a thriller towards the end but I don’t think that really counts.
This took me waaay too long to read because I wasn’t that interested.
You’re doing a great job Kayla, I’ve never been apart of a book club so I’m thankful to you for creating this space and picking books every month.
I gave it a 2 star, not because it was bad necessarily, but because it took so long to read due to the fact that it was extremely boring. I’d want to read and then I’d remember this was the book I was reading and not want to. I finished it and it wasn’t a crappy story so not a one star but I didn’t enjoy it at all and hated the constant romance so 2 stars.
I ended up DNF'ing this about 100 pages in. The book I read previously was a slog to get through and I could feel a reading slump coming on if I pushed myself any longer.Reading through the comments I'm happy I stopped, this was way too romance heavy with no where near enough mystery or thriller elements.
I can't wait for next months book. I have a feeling I'll really love it
I gotta say that I am glad the second half was more entertaining that the first half. I was annoyed at the fact that the first half pretty much took place in Caleb's room. Now I do get why we spent so much time there, but yet I think it could of been done better (more engaging). I was actually surprised at the fact that the mother was the antagonist. Also, that the day was alive and well.
Yes, I would really from this author again. I did very much enjoyed the writing style.
NO, you're book selections are great. Despite the fact that I didn't give this book 4-5 starts, I still enjoyed it.
I liked the mystery surrounding Caleb and didn't see the mom-framed-dad-for-fire coming. I loved how Miranda wrote Caleb to be a character I hated until his true motivations were revealed at the end and in a split second I went from hating him to loving him.I loved that Jessa is a smart, strong, female character. She didn't need anyone's help crossing that river thank you very much! I would have liked to have had a bit more interaction with her parents. We found out so much about Caleb's family, but with Jessa most of the information we got from her family was "tell" not "show".
Jessa's best friend Hailey is a stand-out side character for me. She made me laugh so many times.
Max...ah Max. The soft boy. I always fall for the soft boy. AND he was tall...He would definitely be the boy I'd fall for as a teen twenty years ago.
EVE. Oh my gosh. Love to hate her. I knew she was evil from the get-go and I knew she knew Caleb wasn't dead from the beginning because she wasn't acting like a grieving mother at all. I did want to know WHY she was so evil though. I feel like we didn't really get a good explanation as to how someone could turn out this way, what was her childhood like? Was she hurt as a teen?
The ending was rushed and left some holes. The plot itself was slow at times and there was too much Jessa in the room reminiscing - however, this was a pretty good YA mystery for me! I would definitely read from Miranda again.
Kayla - your picks are great! We may not be giving them 5 stars, however, they are creating lots of discussion and opinions and that's what makes a good book club pick right?
I would say the last 3rd makes up for the earlier slow pace. I still think pretty much the same towards the characters as I did in chapter one, but I did like what Ms. Miranda did with them. Caleb was actually a bit more self absorbed than I initially thought however. Otherwise, Eve was ecil, Sean was a dick, Max is nice, Jessas somewhat boring but not terrible. I did like the side romance aspect. I'm coming to learn that I don't like Romance novels, but I do like side romance in unrelated novels. When its done right obviously, and doesn't take away from the main story too. much. I really do think it added a lot. She needs someone she can trust after all.I really quite enjoyed the wrap up as well. It had some genuine "Oh no!" moments for me. I saw it coming, but when Eve was standing at the other side of the river watching her, man was that chilling!
I'm the kind of person who doesn't really like to try to solve a mystery book/movie. Sure I have passing theories throughout, but generally I like to just experience the beats as the author intends. Though I will say I wouldn't be surprised to see people say this was a predictable story for the most part. Who was bad in the beginning was bad in the ending, with a couple extras thrown in for good measure. I did see this one comment in the last update where someone said they had an admittedly crazy theory about how the guy who took their picture at the lake would turn out to be Calebs dad; and I must admit I did think it was a little crazy myself. When it actually turned out to be true I burst out laughing thinking how that commenter was right after all! XD
Couple random thoughts:
I do wish she went to the library sooner as I wanted her to check the drawer immediately after she mentioned it was a thing. And.
I like the use of technology. Very smart and felt realistic but not over used.
As for if I would read from this author again, I would say yes. Overall I enjoyed myself more then I thought. This is actual the first time I've really been able to participate in the book club and I'm so happy. The previous books I either wasn't able to get access to, or wasn't in the mood because of Corona. So I'm glad I've finally been able to be a part of it.
4 Stars, possibly a 3.5 with time for reflection. But as of now I'm happy with my 4 :)
1) Last thoughts-I was not expecting Eve framing Carlton part in the story tbh. That surprised me. But I really thought Caleb wasn’t alive because, for me that so predictable. And I really thought ‘hey girl, it can’t be that easy’. But I guess I was expecting a lot more. As I said in the previous discussions, I thought Max would have to do something more here but clearly I was wrong. He turned out to be this perfect guy.
I felt I didn’t get the closure I was hoping for when it comes to Caleb. I don’t know why I would feel that but it just didn’t. I thought his things in the end just felt so rushed. I don’t know if someone shares the same opinion as mine here.
I would have been happier if the book didn’t end with Jessa and Max’s romance though. I mean it shouldn’t have ended with romance. That kills the vibe of a ‘so-called mystery/thriller’.
You know the synopsis of the book really got me excited about the story. But there were many things that were predictable and didn’t get me too surprised by the end of the book. Overall, the book was a smooth read and because of the short chapters I felt I was flying through the book.
2) Would I read the other books by the author-
Yes. I don’t mind. I didn’t mind the writing except for the part that where it was slow paced. But I would give Miranda a try again after giving a thorough search about its reviews.
3) Are you making bad choices-
Kayla I have always gone by your YouTube reviews and I have always loved the books that you recommend. I know it’s tough making choices for a book club read when you haven’t read the book yourself. I guess that is the reason people recommend the books they have already read for their book clubs.
But I would love it if someday you will recommend a book that you don’t mind re-reading. Any of your favourite mystery thrillers. I think that would be something really fun. Because then I know you would choose something that will surely blow our minds. It just has to be once.
Final Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Literally Dead Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
All the Missing Girls (other topics)The Perfect Stranger (other topics)
Fracture (other topics)
The Guest List (other topics)
Why We Broke Up (other topics)
And now you're done the book! This topic is for FULL SPOILERS for the entire book so be warned.
Final thoughts?
Did anything surprise you?
Would you read from this author again?
Am I making terrible book club selections? lol just checking.